Realwomen of BC - Archives - March2004

THE REAL NEWS The R.E.A.L WOMEN of BC Newsletter March 2004, BOX 39068, Point Grey RPO, Vancouver, BC V6R 4P1, Tel/Fax: 604- 463-1611, website: http://www.realwomen.bc.ca, e-mail: lgeschke@almatree.net Back to contents
"Next of Kin" vs. "Marriage" or "Union" A Pro_Active Alternative that Protects Marriage and Family In the late 1960s, the main focus of the early and relatively disorganized pro_life movement was on reaffirming the moral view that abortion is an unjust destruction of an innocent new human life. Efforts to address the legitimate concerns of women faced with problem pregnancies began to expand, but did not explode into the large network of pregnancy centers until we had already lost the legal battle in 1973. Similarly, the fight to keep the ban on abortion, and the early fight to reverse the Supreme Court ruling mandating abortion on demand, also focused on the moral reasons for such a ban. Promoting a "next of kin" designation in the controversy over the proposed change to the definition of marriage to include same sex couples (which REAL Women of BC opposes) avoids any insinuation that there is a "marriage" or even a publicly recognized "union" of the same sex individuals. Yet at the same time, it gives single persons the right to establish a "family" connection in a manner that is closely analogous to adoption. One might even characterize the "next of kin" designation as the adoption of a brother or sister to whom the legal rights of next_of_kin attach. The law could also provide for "next of kin" certificates and "kinship severed" (divorce) certificates. This "next of kin" suggestion has received positive feedback about its potential, but we have yet to see anyone raise the issue in the public debate. We believe this is a huge mistake, reminiscent of the pro_life movement''s failure to aggressively address the legitimate concerns of pregnant women back in the 1960s. This proactive proposal to simplify "next of kin" designations, and perhaps even expand the rights attached to a next of kin, should be put forward, side by side, with the same passion and zeal as our efforts to promote laws and constitutional amendments that will protect marriage from being redefined by judicial activists. This effort should certainly not replace our efforts to pin down protection of marriage in the law. But we believe pushing for a simplification of the process for designating "next of kin" rights is of equal importance. Success in even a few provinces will take the wind out of the sails of the gay marriage movement and demonstrate to the courts that there is an adequate means of addressing the "unfairness" issues they raise without redefining marriage itself. We encourage you to consider this proposal and share it with others as this national debate continues to unfold. ACTION STEP: Please register your support for this alternative, Next_of_Kin proposal with your legislators, church leaders, and the conservative, pro_family organizations you support. Forward them copies of the above article by email, fax, or letter. And add your own thoughts! We need to develop support, momentum, and the language to support this effort. Also, contact your Senator (or any of the six BC Senators) with this idea by calling 1.800. 267.7362 and asking to speak to the Senator by name or their Ottawa phone number, as follows: Gerry St Germaine - 613.947.2242 Pat Carney - 613.943.1433 D Ross Fitzpatrick - 613.992.4974 Mobina Jaffer - 613.992.0189 Edward M Lawson - 613.996.5453 Jack Austin - 613.992.1437